Baby-jumper



J. E. RING. BABYJUMPER.

(No Model.)

Patented May 12 ATTORNEYS.

ANDREW HVGRIHAM, PHGTOLWHQWASHXNGIQNJ C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ELBERT RING, OF CHATHAM, NE YORK.

BABY-JUM PER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,148, dated May 12,1896. Appli ion file September 13, 1895. Serial No. 562,388. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ELBERT RING, of Chatham, in the county ofColumbia and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Cradleand Support, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in cradles and supports therefor;and the object of the invention is to provide a spring-support forcradles adapted to be applied to a floor or the tread of a stoop, porch,or other horizontal or substantiallyhorizontal surface, and,furthermore, to provide a cradle adapted to be suspended from theaforesaid springsupport, whereby whenever a child placed in the cradlemakes the slightest movement the springsupport will act to give thecradle not only a vertical but also a side movement in any direction.

A further object of this invention is to provide for a reinforcement ofthe spring-support for the cradle when necessary, and to construct boththe cradle and the support in an exceedingly simple, durable, andeconomic manner.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved cradle and its support.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cradle. Fig. 3 is also a plan view of thecradle, illustrating it as of oblong shape. Fig. 4 is a detail sideelevation of the main support for the cradle. Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe auxiliary or reinforcing support, and Fig. 6 is a bottom plan viewof the main support for the cradle.

In carrying out the invention the cradle comprises a frame A and a body13. The frame consists, preferably, of fourbars or rails 10, which barsor rails are arranged to cross one another to form substantially arectangular structure, and the rails are pivotally connected by bolts 11or their equivalents, and ordinarily these bolts are provided withsuitable nuts which fit tight enough to prevent unscrewing; but the nutsare not drawn up tight enough to render the frame rigid. Consequently itcan be instantly collapsed, if desired.

The body B of the cradle is preferably made of fabric or a like materialand in strips, the strips being connected with each other in anyapproved manner and tacked or otherwise secured to the inner faces ofthe rails of the frame. Four ropes or cords 12 are attached to theframe, being preferably secured to the outer extremities of two opposingor parallel bars or rails of the frame, the ropes or cords beingconnected in any approved manner over the center of the cradle, andwhere the cords or ropes meet a ring 13 or its equivalent is securedthereto.

The support C for the cradle preferably consists of a pole 14, made ofhickory or other resilient material. The pole is preferably made totaper, and at what may be termed its heel or wider end a bracket 15 isfirmly secured, provided with an eyelet 16, as shown in Fig. 6, and thebracket is preferably of angular construction, one of its members beingparallel with the pole and the other standing at an angle thereto. Afoot 17 which may be in the nature of a block, is secured to the underface of the pole near the heel and is at an angle to the said face, asshown best in Figs. 1 and 4; and, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6, thebottom portion of the foot is considerably wider than its upper portion,being adapted to rest upon a surface to which the pole may be attached,and the foot serves as a fulcrum for the pole.

At the upper end of the pole a hook 18 is provided, as shown in Fig. 1,adapted to receive the ring 13, connected with the ropes of the cradle,and in operation an angular pin 19, or equivalent device, is driven inthe surface upon which the pole is to rest, and the pin is made to passthrough the eyelet 16 in the bracket at the heel of the pole, the foot17 resting upon the said surface, as shown in Fig. 1. Therefore, whenthe cradle is attached to the upper end of the pole, at every movementof the occupant the cradle will be given a vertical movement back andforth as well as a side movement, owing to the springing of thesupporting-pole 14.

The pole 14, which is the principal support,

will be calculated to sustain a predetermined weight. In the event aheavier child than originally provided for should be placed in thecradle the main spring-support must be reinforced to a greater or a lessdegree, and to that end an auxiliary support is provided, also made of aresilient material, preferably of the same material as that of the polelet. This auxiliary support is likewise made tapering, and its wider endis entered in a pocket 21, secured to the inner face of the main supportnear its heel, yet above its fulcrum or foot 17, and at a predetermineddistance from the upper end of the main support a rack 22 is securedupon its under face, adapted to receive in the notches thereof the upperend of the auxiliary or reinforcing support, and according to the extentto which the auxiliary 0r reinforcing strip or support is bent will themain support be stiffened.

It is evident that a device of the above character and construction maybe readily transported from place to place and set up in any room orupon a step, porch, or other substantially horizontal surface. A pillow23 is preferably placed in one corner of the body of the cradle for thecomfort of the occupant; and I desire it to be understood that while thecradle is preferably constructed as illustrated it may be otherwiseformed.

As the four ropes 12 are of equal length from the ring to the corners ofthe frame,

they hold the frame in a rectangular form. In order to make the frameoblong, as shown in Fig. 3, the ropes at two opposite corners are simplyshortened by looping them over the corners of the frame to which theyare fastened.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination of a pole of spring materialprovided with a fastening device at its heel, a fixed fulcrum adjacentto the heel, a pocket located upon the under face of the pole above itsfixed fulcrum, a rack also placed upon the under face of the pole nearits upper end, and an auxiliary spring-support, having one of its endsremovably placed in the said pocket and its opposite end engaged withthe said rack, asand for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of a flexible rod capable of bending throughout itslength, aresilient supporting-brace having one end fixedly connectedwith the flexible rod and incapable of movement thereon, and means forad justably fixing the remaining end of the brace to the rod,substantially as described.

JOHN ELBERT RING.

\Vitnesses OLIVER P. STEvEs, CAROLINE B. RING.

